It Starts With Gifts
by Sable19
Summary: Kagome bought an extra gift, but decides not to give it to the recipient. What happens when he finds it anyway?
1. Gifts

Hello everyone! This is one of my first stories that I've ever written with this pairing, so please be nice. And don't leave comments telling me to change something please; I like my story the way it is. Suggestions are always welcome, but I'll keep the discretion of changes made to myself. This actually turned out to be more than one chapter, so there will be another one following this.

**Christmas Gifts**

**By: Sable19**

It was Christmas time. Finally! Kagome was so excited. She was returning to the Feudal era today, after spending a full week with her family for the holidays. She had a lot of gifts for her friends, and even some extra ones that she hadn't planned on getting. She had gotten a bunch of good gifts from her family, including a bike repair kit and a new ring from her grandfather. Sota had given her a new brush and comb set, and told her to use it on Inuyasha to get his hair under control.

Kagome kissed her mom, hugger her grandfather, and ruffled Sota's hair. She was impatient to get back to the Feudal era and see her friends. She ran to the well and jumped in with one fluid motion. Soon enough, the blue light engulfed her and she landed softly on the ground. Already she could see the differences between her well and the well now. She could smell the fresh air and hear the birds singing. She quickly climbed out and looked around. She didn't see any of her friends and felt disappointed. She headed to the nearby village, hoping everyone would be at Kaede's hut.

She was greeted at the entrance of the village by a very small but very happy fluff ball. She giggled and hugged Shippo to herself.

"Kagome! I'm so glad you're back! We missed you! Did you bring me something for Christmas?" Shippo babbled for a minute while Kagome made her way to Kaede's hut. She laughed as she entered and saw that all of her friends were sitting around the fire, talking to Kaede. She sat down next to Sango and Shippo moved to sit in her lap.

"I'm back!" she said happily, stating the obvious. She took her backpack off of her back and set it down next to her. "Now, since it's already past Christmas Day, I'm going to give you all your gifts now. I hope you like them!" She started pulling wrapped presents out of her bag and passed them around.

For Sango she had a new ribbon for her hair and a collar for Kilala that grew and expanded so it wouldn't break when she changed form. Miroku received new gloves for his hands and an ointment for his face, to help heal it when he got slapped. She gave Shippo some new crayons and something she called a fuzzy poster. "See, the fuzzy parts are what make the outline of the pictures, and you just color inside of them. They're very popular right now. I thought you might like them." Shippo was ecstatic.

Kagome also gave Kaede a fancy new dress that her mother had helped her find. "For whenever you want to come see my home," Kagome told her. Though Kaede didn't really show it, she was very pleased.

Lastly she had a few gifts for Inuyasha. She looked over at him, and he motioned for her to follow him outside. She complied, and they walked to the small river that ran through the village. Once there, she set her bag against the tree and rummaged through it. She still had gifts for a few other people in it, so it took her a moment to find Inuyasha's. Finally finding the two packages, she pulled them out.

"Here Inuyasha," she said, handing him one very large package and one medium sized one. He opened the large one first to find three boxes full of instant noodles. He smiled in delight. "Wow, thanks Kagome!" he exclaimed with joy. She smiled. He turned his attention to the smaller package and opened it carefully. When he finally saw what it was, he gasped.

It was a large sash, the same color as his Robe of the Fire Rat. It was made with very delicate but strong silk, and even had a small loop attached to it to hold the Tessaiga. Kagome had made sure it was fireproof and waterproof, something not easy to find in her time. Inuyasha's eye showed wonder and joy, and Kagome's cheeks flamed red in delight. She helped him put it on, and it matched his outfit perfectly.

"I don't know what to say Kagome, this is great! Thank you," he said, slipping Tessaiga into the loop and moving around, making sure it didn't fall out.

"I'm glad you like it Inuyasha," she said. After a few minutes of watching him, she cleared her through, catching his attention. "I hate to ask you this, and I know you're not going to like me for it, but I need a favor." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in suspicion; he thought she was being too nice to him for some reason. "What is it Kagome?"

"I need you to take me to see Sesshomaru," she said quietly, and braced herself for the explosion that she was sure would follow. And it did.

"WHAT? Why do you want to see that bastard? There's no way, not happening, I am NOT taking you to see him!" Inuyasha shouted in anger, causing a few of the villagers to look around in surprise.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said in horror. "Calm down! It's not Sesshomaru I wanted to see!"

"I'm never taking- Wait, what? You don't want to see him? Then why do you want me to take you to him?" Inuyasha was confused.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I have a gift for Rin for Christmas, since she's helped us out so many times. Do you mind?"

Inuyasha looked cross but he agreed. He reminded Kagome that Sesshomaru might not let them get near Rin, but she was determined to get her gifts to Rin no matter what. While Kagome pulled the few gifts she had in her bag that weren't for the villagers and put them in her pockets, Inuyasha let Sango and the others know where they were going. When he returned Kagome was ready to go, and she hopped on his back. He started running through the forests and toward the castle he knew Sesshomaru would be at.

After traveling in silence for almost an hour, the castle was in sight. Kagome's breath caught in her throat. She was nervous, not only because she was afraid of Sesshomaru but because, for some reason she couldn't explain, she had bought him a gift as well. She knew he would hate it and wouldn't want anything to do with her, but she had bought it anyway.

Inuyasha sensed some tension in Kagome and shifted her weight slightly, as if to remind her he was there and would protect her. She smiled down at him as they reached the outer gate of the castle. Inuyasha set Kagome on the ground and motioned for her to stay where she was while he got Sesshomaru's attention. She nodded her understanding and moved behind a nearby tree, so she wouldn't be seen.

"Hey, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha shouted at the castle. "Come out here for a second, and bring that brat with you!" There was silence from within the castle. "Come on, Sesshomaru! I know you're in there, I can smell your dirty scent!" Inuyasha grinned to himself. If that didn't get his brother out into the open, nothing would.

Sure enough, a few moments later, Inuyasha had to dart to the side to avoid being attacked by Sesshomaru. He grinned as he landed. "Took you long enough to show your ugly face," he commented, folding his arms.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said in his calm voice. "What do you want? Did you come here to die? If so, I'll be happy to oblige you."

"Feh! As if. It wasn't my idea to come here. Kagome wanted to see Rin." As he said this, Kagome walked out from behind a tree and stood beside him.

"Ah yes, as always, doing what the wench wants you to do," Sesshomaru mused aloud. "And why should I bring Rin out here to see you two?"

"Please Sesshomaru," Kagome spoke up. "I know you don't care for me, but I have something I want to give Rin. Please?"

Sesshomaru's gaze moved from Inuyasha to her. He looked her up and down, but before he could say anything, there was a sound of running feet from behind him. Rin appeared from behind him and stood next to him. "Lord Sesshomaru, who's here? Oh, it's Kagome! Hi Kagome!"

Kagome smiled at the little girl. "Hi Rin. How are you?" Rin grinned at her, then turned to her lord. "Lord Sesshomaru, what's going on?" Sesshomaru's eyes glanced down at the little girl. "The wench says she has something for you."

Kagome nodded. "That's right. I got you a Christmas present. Would you like to see what it is?" Rin looked up at Sesshomaru, who was gazing at Kagome with distaste. "Do as you want Rin," he said, turning around and disappearing into the castle. Rin ran to Kagome and grabbed her hand. "Come on Kagome, come inside! I want to see what you have for me! I'm sorry I don't have anything for you," Rin talked on and on as she pulled Kagome toward the castle. Kagome glanced back at Inuyasha, who pointed to the nearest tree, indicating he would be waiting for her there. Kagome nodded and followed Rin.

Rin was excited that she finally had another girl at her castle. She rarely got any visitors, and never any females. She guided Kagome to her room in the castle, which was bare except for a mat on the floor and a small table that had flowers on it. She nudged Kagome into a sitting position by the table, then sat down next to her. She babbled on and on about everything, from the nearby flower field where she spent a lot of her time to taking care of AhUn. Kagome smiled at the little girl, remembering that this is exactly how she acted at Rin's age.

"So Rin, do you want to see what I got you?" Kagome asked when Rin stopped to catch her breath. Rin nodded excitedly, and Kagome pulled out the two boxes she had in her pocket. She handed them both to Rin, who squealed with happiness and tore into the bigger one. She was surprised to find a hair set, including a comb, brush, and some barrettes for her hair. She was so thrilled she hugged Kagome, surprising the older girl. She set it on the table and started to unwrap the small one.

"Be careful with it, Rin," warned Kagome. "It's very delicate." Rin nodded and removed the last of the wrapping to reveal a white box. She slowly pulled the top off and her eyes widened.

Lying inside the box was a bracelet. It was silver and looked to be made of hearts all connected together. But it wasn't an ordinary bracelet; it was a charm bracelet. Hanging on it, here and there, were small charms. Rin was looking at it in wonder; she had never seen anything like it before.

Kagome picked it up from the box. "It's called a charm bracelet. Would you like me to put it on you?" Rin nodded, unable to find any words to express her feelings. She held up her arm and Kagome quickly slipped it on and clasped it. "Do you want to know why we call it a charm bracelet?" she asked softly, and the little girl nodded. "We call it a charm bracelet because we have a lot of these little trinkets, called charms, which you can attach to it if you want to. I've already added a few for you, but if you have anymore that you want me to add, you let me know and I'll get them, okay?"

Rin nodded. "What do the ones on here mean?" she asked quietly, fingering each one. Kagome pointed to the charm as she explained them. "This one here is a flower, because I know how much you love to pick flowers. That one is a two headed dragon, and it is supposed to mean AhUn. I got that because I know how much you care about AhUn and how much it protects you. And this one is a frog, and it's supposed to be Jaken." Kagome and Rin both burst out in giggles.

Once they calmed down, Rin noticed the last charm, dangling near the inside of her wrist. "And what's this one?" Kagome looked and smiled softly. "That is a crescent moon. It's the same symbol Lord Sesshomaru has on his head, isn't it?" Rin nodded." It's supposed to be him, since he's an important person in your life too." Rin smiled a wide smile and hugged Kagome tightly again, who returned the hug tenfold.

"I had better get going," Kagome said, standing up. Rin stood up as well and offered to guide her out of the castle. Kagome followed after her. 'I guess I won't get to give my gift to Sesshomaru after all,' she thought to herself.

"Thank you for the gifts Kagome," Rin said. "I really like them. But do you think you can get me one that looks like a bow and arrow?" Kagome smiled.

"Sure, I can do that. What does the bow and arrow mean to you?" Kagome asked her as they reached outside of the gate walls. Rin looked up at her and grinned.

"The bow and arrow is you."

As Inuyasha and Kagome headed back to their village, Rin walked back to her room, still admiring the bracelet. She felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world to get something so pretty. She walked into her room and promptly tripped. She hit the floor hard, but it didn't seem to bother her as she checked to make sure her bracelet was okay. After seeing it was and letting out a sigh of relief, she looked down by her feet to see what had made her trip.

Sitting on the floor was a brightly wrapped box. It was red with a small green box. Rin picked it up and looked it over. She noticed a tag on it, but she wasn't able to read it. The handwriting was small and delicate, and Rin was sure Kagome had dropped it. But since she was already gone, Rin decided to see if Lord Sesshomaru could read it and tell her who it was for, so she could give it to them.

Rin quickly made her way through the castle to Sesshomaru's main room. She listened to see if Sesshomaru had guests or not, but didn't hear anything, She quietly knocked on the door, and on his command, opened the door and walked in. Lord Sesshomaru was standing up, looking out the window, and obviously deep in thought.

"Lord Sesshomaru, it's me, Rin. Am I bothering you?" When she got no reply, she continued. "Kagome just left and I think she dropped this. It looks like the presents that she gave me, and I thought maybe she meant to give it to someone else, but I can't read it, and I was hoping you would be able to, so…"

Rin trailed off, and there was silence for a minute. Rin nodded to herself, set down the package on a nearby table, and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Lord Sesshomaru didn't move for a few moments, then turned around and looked at the small package. He picked it up almost distastefully, and looked it over. He found the tag and read it aloud to himself. "To Lord Sesshomaru, From Kagome." It took a moment for the meaning of those words to sink in, and then Sesshomaru read it again carefully. He assumed he had made a mistake in reading it, but there was no mistake. This gift was meant for him.

Sesshomaru moved to toss the package down, but his curiosity got the better of him. He slowly removed the wrapping to find a box, similar to the white box Rin's bracelet had been in. He removed the top to find a note. Unsure why someone would wrap up a note, he took it out of the box and his eyes narrowed at what he saw beneath it.

It was a very small locket. It was plain enough; it was silver and heart-shaped. There was a small black heart design on it, directly in the center. He picked it up and looked it over, front and back. When he laid it in his palm, it popped open, revealing two empty spots for photos. Having never seen a locket before he was unsure what do with it. He placed it back into the box and put the box down on the table. He unfolded the note in his left hand and started to read it.

_Lord Sesshomaru,_

_I know you weren't expecting this, but here you are anyway. Merry Christmas and I wish you the best!_

_Kagome_

Sesshomaru read over the note again, then looked down at the locket. What was he supposed to do with it now?

The next two weeks passed quickly, full of battles against other demons and Naraku's evil henchmen. Sesshomaru didn't have as many battles as Inuyasha's gang did, but it was enough to keep him busy. Most of the time. When he wasn't busy or when he was alone, he would pull out the box and look at the locket. He couldn't understand why he couldn't throw it away, and he also couldn't understand why he could look at this strange silver item and keep picturing that wench's face.

Kagome, on the other hand, was freaking out. She had realized that the present she had for Sesshomaru was missing, and she was terrified that Inuyasha or one of her other friends would find it. She could explain gifts to Rin and others easily enough, but a gift for Inuyasha's older brother would be a hard one to get by with. Inuyasha was already suspicious of her because she spent any free time tearing through her backpack and pockets.

Kagome felt miserable. She was unsure of what to do. She couldn't ask for help, and the only other place she could think of that she might have lost it was at Sesshomaru's castle. She couldn't think of what would happen if Rin or Jaken found it, or worse, is Sesshomaru himself got his hands on it.

The fights weren't really helping her mood, and she was getting short tempered, which everyone noticed. Even Inuyasha left her alone, which she secretly appreciated. After a very long battle with Kagura, Kagome insisted she wanted to go home. She needed a good night's sleep and she wanted to get the charm Rin had asked for. Everyone agreed and said they would camp next to the well and wait for her to come back. Kagome thanked them for understanding and went back to her era.

Inuyasha and the others made camp and sat around the fire, talking and eating the noodles Kagome had given Inuyasha.

"What's her problem anyway? She's been snapping at me all week long and she jumps everytime we come near a demon."

"I'm not sure," Miroku said, completely serious. "She seems on edge about something, and maybe a demon has someone to do with it. When did she start acting different Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha thought back. "I don't know. I took her to Sesshomaru's castle, she spent time with Rin, then we headed back to the village. It had to be that night when she was giving out her gifts to the villagers. She gave the last one to the little girl who was sick last spring, and then she started tearing through her backpack, like she was looking for something. She was mumbling something like where is it or something like that."

"Maybe she had a special gift for one of us she was saving and she lost it," Sango suggested. Miroku and Inuyasha thought about that for a few minutes.

"I bet it was something for Inuyasha," Shippo spoke up. He was lying near the fire and using its light to color in the posters Kagome had given him. "You know, something romantic and lovey-dovey." Sango and Miroku looked at Inuyasha, whose face was flushed. They both chuckled.

"I-I'm going to stand guard." Inuyasha said and left in a bit of a hurry. The rest of the group laughed, then settled down to get some sleep.

The next morning they awoke bright and early, but with nothing to do but wait for Kagome to show up, Shippo decided to go fishing while Sango and Inuyasha fanned out to make sure there were no demons around. Miroku sat on the edge of the well, alert as ever but relaxed at the same time. His thoughts traveled back to Kagome and her erratic behavior. He couldn't figure it out. Whose gift had she lost? If it was for Inuyasha she would have given it to him on her way back form Sesshomaru's place, right?

Miroku's eyes snapped open. Her behavior after leaving Sesshomaru's place, her bad mood, and her uneasiness around demons. It couldn't be. Did something happen with Sesshomaru? Was the gift she was looking for, possibly for Sesshomaru?

Miroku didn't have a chance to think about any further. He heard a sound coming from behind him, in the woods. He couldn't sense any evil auras, but he could sense a large demon. Unsure about what sort of demon it could be, he took a fighting stance with his staff in his hands.

After a moment he heard a voice yelling out. He strained to listen to what it was saying.

"Kagome! Kagome! Where are you? Kagome!" the voice called, steadily getting louder. Miroku recognized it the moment that Rin ran out of the woods. AhUn was following close behind her, her bodyguard as always. She saw Miroku and ran over to him, AhUn right on her heels.

"Miroku, is Kagome around? I was hoping she had gotten the other charm for me for my bracelet," Rin asked, holding up her wrist to show it to Miroku. He smiled at the little girl and sat back on the edge of the well, patting the seat next to him.

"Kagome should be back any minute. She actually just went to get your new charm. Do you have time to wait with me? Or are you supposed to get back to Sesshomaru?" He helped Rin up onto the well, and she smiled up at him.

"No. I asked him if I could come see Kagome, and he said I could as long as I keep AhUn with me. I was hoping to spend the day with Kagome. Do you think that would be okay?"

Miroku smiled at this little girl's innocent and loving nature. "I think she would like that very much," he said, patting the girl on the top of her head.

"No she wouldn't," came a voice from the well. Both Miroku and Rin jumped off in surprise as Kagome's arms and head appeared. She grinned at them. "She would absolutely love it!" Rin jumped around in circles while Miroku helped Kagome out of the well. Kagome took Rin's hand and, together with Miroku, they set out to find the other members of their group.

The morning passed by uneventfully. Rin and Kagome spent time in the village, helping with sick and injured villagers, then everyone except Inuyasha went swimming in the nearby lake. Kagome reminded Rin to take off her bracelet before getting in the water, and took that chance to attach the new charm she got to her bracelet. She had managed to get one with a diamond chip in it for a very good price.

By the time the sun was starting to go down, Rin decided she had better head back to the castle. Kagome offered to walk her back, but Rin said that Sesshomaru was supposed to meet her at a bridge that was close by. Kagome insisted on walking her to the bridge at least, and Rin was only too happy to let her. Kagome waved to her friends and took the girl's hand. Rin started chattering away as they walked.

"Hey, Rin?" Kagome interjected when Rin took a breath. "I have a question for you, and I really need you to answer me honestly, okay?" Rin nodded. "When I left the cast a couple of weeks ago, did I leave a present there? It would have been a small box, with red wrapping and a green bow. Do you remember seeing it?" Rin thought for a moment, then smiled innocently.

"Oh yea, I found it in my room."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "Do you still have it? May I have it back?"

Rin shook her head. "I'm sorry Kagome, but I gave it to Sesshomaru so he could find out whose gift it was. You're not mad, are you?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's okay," she said in what she hoped was an even voice. She suddenly felt very nervous. Sesshomaru had received her gift? What would he say? Would he insult her, or just stand there and look at her, like he always did? Maybe he had thrown it away before he opened it. Kagome felt reassured; there was no way he would accept a gift from a human girl.

"Look, there's the bridge! I wonder where Lord Sesshomaru is." Rin walked ahead of Kagome and stood on the bridge, looking around. Kagome leaned against the post at the edge of the bridge and tried to look uncaring. But she couldn't help looking around once. Rin walked to the other end of the bridge, still looking for her lord. Kagome was still nervous, but she tried to shake it off. Why should she be nervous; it wasn't like Sesshomaru was so important to her, after all. Not like Inuyasha.

"What are you doing here wench?" a voice rang out, startling Kagome out of her calm disposition. She stumbled back a few steps as Sesshomaru appeared at the end of the bridge. He looked as calm as ever, but Kagome could see something different. She didn't know what it was, but he seemed angry.

Rin smiled and ran to Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru! I was looking for you. I had a great day! Kagome showed me a lot of new herbs and wraps, so now I can help you or Master Jaken more! We went swimming, and she walked with me here to make sure that I would be okay, even though AhUn was with us. And look, I got a new charm!" She held up her arm to show him, which he glanced at before looking back at Kagome.

Kagome couldn't move, she couldn't talk. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a fluttering in her stomach and heart, and her throat was closing up. She kept her eyes on Sesshomaru, afraid that he would do something to her. There were minutes of silence, broken only when Rin, who had gone to pet AhUn, giggled or AhUn made a noise.

Sesshomaru took a few steps toward Kagome, who wanted to retreat but could not. He stopped when he was directly in front of her. He looked down at her, and not for the first time, took in her features. Her cinnamon colored eyes, full of happiness and hope, and right now, fear. Her long black hair, dark as a raven's feathers and just as soft, he presumed. High cheekbones, which made her mouth small and shaped with a bit of a pout. Interestingly enough, it was her mouth which drew most of his attention. Sesshomaru mentally shook himself, showing nothing on the outside.

"I received your gift wench," he said calmly, and was somehow pleased to see her eyes flash with worry.

"I-I'm glad," she stammered. She couldn't take her eyes away from his, no matter how hard she tried.

"Hmm. What exactly is it?" Sesshomaru asked, pulling the white box from his robes. He pulled the top off and pushed it at Kagome. She took the box and looked down at the small locket, her mind blank. He hadn't thrown it away?

"It's a l-locket," she said quietly, looking back up at him. "I forgot that you've never seen a locket before. You're supposed to wear it around your neck on a chain, and put pictures on the inside. You know what pictures are, still pictures of people or things that you take with a camera. You take a picture of the person or thing you want in the locket, then cut the picture to fit the size of the inside, and slip it in. That way you have a picture with you all the time of the people or things you care about."

Sesshomaru's expression didn't change, but Kagome felt the anger in him ebb away. "So how exactly what I get a picture?" he asked. Kagome swallowed.

"I have one, in the village. If you want me to, I can go get it really fast and I'll give it to Rin so she can take some pictures." When he was silent she slipped past him and edged her way toward the village. "Rin, I'll be right back. I'm going to get my camera," she said, then she ran as fast as she could. She set a record for herself; she ran to the village, got her camera, and ran back to the bridge in seven minutes flat. She was surprised to find Sesshomaru still waiting for her, but her attention was diverted by the energetic Rin.

Kagome explained what a camera was and how it worked, keeping Sesshomaru in her peripheral vision. He didn't seem to be interested, but Kagome could tell he was giving her all of his attention. She gulped again. 'This is nerve racking!' she thought to herself.

"Okay, Rin, you think you got it?" she asked the little girl, who nodded. "Okay, I want you to go stand next to AhUn so I can take a picture of you two." Rin complied and ran over to AhUn, all smiles. Sesshomaru walked over to Kagome and stood next to her, watching Rin. Kagome fiddled with the camera, but was keenly aware of his presence. She held the camera up to her eyes.

"Good Rin. Move over to the left a little bit. There you go, perfect. Now I want you to smile really big. Remember, this is for Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin grinned as wide as she could, and Kagome snapped the picture. Although she wasn't sure, she thought she had heard a chuckle at the same time the shutter flashed on her camera. She glanced up at Sesshomaru as the picture popped out of the camera, but his expression didn't seem any different. She was distracted by Rin.

"I want to see it!" the little girl said, holding out her hands for it.

"We have to wait a few moments, for the picture to show up, okay? Why don't you try taking a picture while we wait. Here, take the camera, and go stand where you just were. Find something to take a picture of, and press this button down. Okay? And be careful; if you drop it and it breaks, we won't get to take any more pictures." Rin nodded happily and ran off, to take pictures of AhUn.

Kagome nervously waved the picture back and forth, waiting for it to develop. Sesshomaru didn't move, but she could feel that he was curious to see the picture.

"So wench, you said this locket thing goes on a chain around my neck. Did it not come with the chain?"

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, anger flashing in her eyes. "Stop calling me wench! My name is Kagome! And yes, it did come with the chain, but I figured it would break when you changed to your true form, so I left it at home. I don't know if there is a chain like that here, but if there is and I find it, I'll give it to you." Realizing she had practically yelling into his face, she swallowed and stepped back, dropping the photo.

Sesshomaru turned to look at Kagome for a long moment, then leaned down and picked up the picture. He looked at it for a moment, then handed it back to Kagome. Kagome looked at it and saw the picture as plain as day. It was a very nice photo of Rin and AhUn. She turned and held it out to Sesshomaru.

"Here," she said. "You can use it to put a picture of Rin in the locket, if you want." Sesshomaru blinked, then took the picture. "Hmm," was all he said. Knowing this was as close as she was going to get to a thank you, she smiled up at him. He looked down at her and couldn't help but notice that when she smiled, her eyes lit up.

_Click_. Sesshomaru and Kagome looked down to see Rin standing there, with the camera. She giggled and held out a small pile of pictures. Some were of AhUn while others were of flowers. Kagome laughed and set them on a nearby rock.

"Okay Rin, you've taken enough for today. You can take it with you, but take care of it, okay?"

Rin nodded. "Can I take one of you Kagome?" Kagome nodded and stood up, then walked over to the bridge. She placed her hands behind her back and smiled a wide smile. Her eyes were on Rin, who was trying to get the perfect picture, but they soon traveled to Sesshomaru. In one fluid motion, she took in his features again. His long silver hair, his golden eyes, and even his crescent moon mark on his forehead. Her smile turned from one of silliness to a gentle one, just as Rin snapped the photo.

Kagome hugged the girl and waved them off, then headed back to the village by herself. Her thoughts were a jumble as she fought with herself over her feelings for Sesshomaru. She thought he was arrogant, pushy, and very violent. But he was also kind to Rin and fiercely protective of her. That means he must have some feelings, right? And if he can come to care for a little girl, maybe he could come to care for her…

Okay, that's chapter one. I wasn't planning on making this a chapter story, but I really like how this turned out and I have a few more ideas. There will probably only be 2 chapters, but if good ideas keep coming to me, I might make it into 3. Let me know what you think, please?


	2. Injuries

Welcome back all. Hope you like this chapter as well. As always I do not own Inuyasha or anything like that, okay? Okay, on to the story!

**The Injury**

**By: Sable19**

Kagome slept fitfully that night. What little sleep she did catch was full of dreams of Sesshomaru; fighting, walking, and watching her. She would awaken with a start, only to be confused about her feelings. She knew, deep in her heart, that something was wrong. She should love Inuyasha. He loved her. Didn't he?

Early the following morning, Inuyasha woke her from her sleep. He signaled for her to be quiet, then woke up Miroku, Sango and Shippo. He motioned for them all to follow him outside, which they did. Shippo whined and yawned the entire time, and Kagome picked him up.

Inuyasha informed them of a demon attack he knew of going on in a nearby village, and they set off to eradicate it. But once they finished off that one, a bigger one appeared. It was larger than all of the huts in the village, with a shimmering blue body. It didn't seem to have any eyes, but it had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. And its sense of smell must have been very powerful; the moment they spotted it, it attacked them.

Inuyasha pulled Kagome away form the attack and set her down out of the way. Kilala transformed and both Sango and Miroku climbed on her back. She flew directly at the demon, and Sango launched her attack.

"_Hiraikotsu_!"

The demon managed to avoid the giant boomerang, and took a swipe at the pair and the fire cat in retaliation. They swiftly moved out of the way, and Inuyasha pulled out Tessaiga. Kagome stayed a safe distance away with Shippo, but had her bow drawn and an arrow on the demon. Waiting for a clear shot, she watched as Inuyasha fought of the large demon's attacks and fought back with vigor.

Kagome was so trained on the fight in front of her that she didn't see the large blue tail that was whipping toward her. But Shippo did.

"Fox Fire!" he shouted, casting flames at the tail. The very tip of it caught fire, causing the demon to cry out in pain. He waved his tail back and forth, trying desperately to put out the fire. In the process he hit Kagome in the side, throwing her through the air several feet. She fell to the ground, hard, and rolled. Shippo chased after her, determined to protect her. But with one swipe of the tail he was knocked away from Kagome. Kagome cried out in horror when she realized her arrows and bow had been separated from her body when she was hit.

"Kagome! Watch out!" She heard Inuyasha yell at her and noticed the tail directly above her, rushing toward her to squash her. Unable to protect herself and having problems moving, she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the hit. It never came.

Kagome opened one eye and looked around slowly. She saw the tail, still above her, but not able to move. She couldn't figure out why until she noticed a light green line going from the tail to behind her. The tail seemed to be struggling to move, and Kagome heard Inuyasha still yelling for her. She looked up to see Inuyasha held under the demon's massive paw while Kilala circled its head, Sango using her boomerang at every opportunity.

Kagome looked behind her. She was startled to see Sesshomaru, holding tight to the energy strand that was wrapped around the demon's tail. She watched with fascination as he pulled down on the strand, and the demon lost its balance, releasing Inuyasha in the process. Shippo ran over to her, and she heard Inuyasha's Wind Scar being released. The demon creamed in pain and disintegrated, while Sesshomaru gave one final pull on the tail. It, too, tumbled to the ground.

"Kagome! Are you alright?" Kilala landed on the ground next to her, and Sango ran to Kagome's side. Kagome nodded but grimaced as Sango helped her to her feet. Miroku and Inuyasha joined them in moments, but Inuyasha turned on Sesshomaru the moment he was sure Kagome was taken care of.

"What are you doing here you pain in the ass?" he yelled at Sesshomaru, who merely looked at him. "Always getting in my way, damn you! What do you want?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said painfully. She was having problems drawing breath. "Leave him alone. Sesshomaru, thank you for saving me."

Sesshomaru watched her in silence for a moment before turning around and starting to leave. His voice carried back over his shoulder. "There is no reason to thank me. He was just in my way. Besides, Rin would be upset if something happened to Kagome." He disappeared into the forest, with five pairs of eyes on his back.

Kagome's mind reeled. He had saved her. Sesshomaru, the demon lord who hated humans, had saved her life. She couldn't believe it. That plus her injuries overwhelmed her, and she fainted. She would have fallen to the ground if Sango's arms were not still around her. Sango looked at Inuyasha and Miroku with worry written on her face. Inuyasha glanced down at Kagome, then looked back to the woods where his brother had disappeared. He felt that something was wrong.

The group hurried back to the village. They went directly for Kaede's hut and found her sitting next to the fire, working with some herbs. She moved over and helped Sango lay down Kagome. As Inuyasha explained what had happened Kaede carefully looked over Kagome's body. She found a few scratches here and there, but nothing serious. As she was bandaging up a very nasty cut on her arm, Kagome's eyes fluttered open.

"Kagome! Are ye hurt?" the old priestess asked. Kagome nodded and tried to take a deep breath, but was unable to. "Slow short breaths Kagome. Ye cannot breathe heavily." Kagome gave her a quick nod and winced. "I need you to tell me where ye hurt, so I can put herbs on it." Kagome moved her arm slowly and pointed to her side. Kaede leaned forward and started to pull up her shirt.

Inuyasha's face flushed and he turned away. After a moment he noticed Miroku hadn't moved. He reached back and grabbed the lecherous monk by his robe and dragged him out of the hut. Shippo couldn't help but laugh, then turned his attention back to his injured friend. He watched with a great deal of worry as Kagome's shirt was lifted all the way up and she turned painfully onto her side.

Along her left side was an enormous bruise. It was purple and red, and stretched from her armpit down to below her waistline. Kaede gently touched the bruise, causing Kagome to cry out in pain. Kaede pulled back in surprise. "I'm not sure what's wrong," she said, a bit confused. Kagome took a ragged breath and whispered two words before passing out again.

"Ribs… broken…"

Shippo looked ready to cry, and ran outside to get Inuyasha. He explained to Inuyasha what had happened and what Kagome said, and Inuyasha hurried back into the hut. Kaede had pulled Kagome's shirt back down, but didn't know what else to do. Inuyasha knelt down next to her and cupped her face softly in his hands. He searched her face for a few moments. "Kagome…" he said softly as everyone else left the hut to leave them alone.

Though unable to move or open her eyes, Kagome could feel his hands. She could feel some warmth and comfort, but she also sensed some hesitation and roughness in the touch. She wanted to sink into the touch, to feel completely at ease, but she couldn't. She was uneasy for some reason. She was a bit relieved when the hands left her face.

Inuyasha continued to watch Kagome for a moment, then called for Sango. When she reentered the hut, she saw Inuyasha lifting Kagome into a sitting position. "Sango, help me get Kagome on my back. I'm going to take her home and see if her mom knows what's wrong with her." Sango nodded and lifted Kagome up gently, placing her on Inuyasha's back. Her arms instinctively went around his neck, and he slipped his arms under her legs, grasping her knees to him. Instead of speeding out of the hut at his normal speed, he walked very slowly, so as not to hurt Kagome. Sango agreed to tell the others what was going on.

Inuyasha eventually got to the well and climbed down into it slowly. When he reached the bottom, the blue light engulfed him and he landed softly in the future. Unable to climb out without hurting Kagome, he climbed out of the well alone. He left the well house and looked around outside. He didn't see Kagome's mom or grandfather, but he did notice Sota sitting on the porch by the main house.

"Sota! Come 'ere!" Inuyasha yelled, catching the boy's attention. Sota jumped up and ran over to the half demon. "Listen, I don't have time to explain. I need you to get your mom and grandfather, and get them over to the well right now. Kagome's been hurt and we don't know what's wrong with her. I can't get her out of the well without hurting her worse than she already is. Hurry!" Sota nodded, a scared look on his face, and ran off. Inuyasha rushed back to the well and climbed down to check on Kagome. She hadn't moved.

A few minutes later Inuyasha could hear noises. He looked up to see Sota and his grandpa looking down at them. "Hey. Where's Kagome's mom?" he asked. Sota's voice drifted down to him. "Mom went to call paramedics to get Kagome out of the well. Can you stay down there until they get here? Is Kagome going to be okay?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yea, I can stay here. And I'm sure she'll be just fine." He said it, but he wasn't sure how much he believed it. He sat on the ground and gently lifted her head onto his lap. 'Kagome, you have to get better,' he thought to himself, tears threatening to run down his face.

Kagome started to move around. Inuyasha watched her for a moment, then realized she must be having some sort of dream. Her face winced, but he couldn't tell if it was from pain or the images behind her eyelids. He put a hand on her forehead and spoke soft words to her. They were nonsense, of course, but he had hoped it would make her feel better.

"Inuyasha! They're here! Here, take this hat and put it on!" Sota threw the baseball cap down into the well, and Inuyasha caught it. Squashing it over his dog ears, he gently picked up Kagome as a stretcher in a harness was lowered next to him. A male paramedic glanced at him but was more concerned with the unconscious girl in his arms. Inuyasha set her down in the stretcher and watched with sad eyes as the paramedic strapped her in and lifted her out of the well. He followed behind it, and managed to get out just as the ambulance drove away.

"Inuyasha," said a voice from behind him. He turned around and saw Kagome's mom standing behind him, purse in her hand. "My dad and Sota already went with Kagome. Would you like to walk with me?" Inuyasha nodded and they left the shrine, walking to the nearby hospital. Along the way he explained what had happened to her. She could see the pain on his face as he talked, and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he looked at her, she saw misery in his eyes.

"Kagome will be okay," she told him in a firm voice.

"But I was supposed to protect her, and I couldn't," he said sadly, his throat tight with tears. "She had to rely on my brother to save her. Sesshomaru hates humans, and I have no idea why he protected her."

"But he did," she said. "I know how you hate your brother; Kagome told me about you two. But don't you think, right now, that Kagome is more important? Isn't her safety the most important thing to you?" Inuyasha nodded. "Then you should be grateful he helped her instead of killing her." This blunt answer was like a slap to Inuyasha's face. He never once thought about thanking his brother, but this wonderful lady was right. Sesshomaru could have killed Kagome and it wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest.

At the hospital, Kagome's mom went looking for the doctor while Inuyasha sat in the waiting room, waiting for her family and trying to answer the questions storming his mind. Why had Sesshomaru helped Kagome? Had his view on humans changed? No; there were still stories of Sesshomaru killing humans who got in his way or who hurt Rin. Then why? And did it have anything to do with the way Kagome was acting? He ran the fight over and over in his mind, but couldn't figure it out.

He heard his name called and looked up to see Sota running straight to him, tears running down his face. His face softened. This kid was a brat and a pain, but he cared about his sister deeply. He reminded Inuyasha so much of Shippo, and this in part helped Inuyasha when he was dealing with Sota. He opened his arms and, in a rare show of emotion, hugged the little boy. Silent tears ran down his face as he held Sota like a life line.

Inuyasha stayed with Sota long after the little boy fell asleep from exhaustion. The doctor had informed them Kagome had a concussion and three broken ribs. She would need to stay in the hospital for almost a week, then she could go home. When asked about what had happened, Kagome's mother had said Kagome was looking for the cat in the well house and fell into the well by accident. The doctors seemed to accept that explanation. Kagome's mom was staying with her, but until she woke up the doctors thought it would be best if everyone else waited outside.

A little after midnight Kagome's grandfather decided to take Sota home and let him get a good night's sleep in a bed. He only left after Inuyasha assured him that he would make sure Kagome's mom let him know if anything changed. Inuyasha watched them leave and felt a tug at his heart. It wasn't often in his time that he got to see families as close as these, and he felt a bit jealous.

Kagome's mother immerged from her room an hour later and told Inuyasha Kagome had woken up to let her know she was okay, but had fallen back asleep. She wanted to tell the others, and Inuyasha let her know that they had gone home. She smiled and pointed to the room Kagome was in before heading down the hall to use the phone. Inuyasha watched her for a moment. She was a strong woman, and he knew that Kagome had the same strength in her. She would be okay.

Inuyasha walked down to her room and opened the door. Kagome was lying on the bed, eyes closed. The blankets were pulled up, but Inuyasha could smell the ointment they had placed on her bruise. She had a bandage around her head, but otherwise she looked okay. He moved over to the bed and sat in the small chair he was sure Kagome's mom had been in a few minutes before. He slowly reached out and took Kagome's hand.

Kagome opened her eyes and turned to Inuyasha. She gave him a small smile. "I'm alright," she said before he could ask her any questions. "I feel a lot better now, I promise."

"How could you be so stupid and let yourself get hurt?" Inuyasha lectured her, but his voice came out in a whisper. Kagome squeezed his hand.

"I'll be fine Inuyasha. Did anyone else get hurt? What about Shippo?" Inuyasha shook his head and smiled a small smile. "Good. Tell them not to worry about me. I'll be up and about in no time. We can go kick Naraku's butt soon. I think I want to go to sleep. Oh, and Inuyasha?" Their eyes met. "I know you don't want to, but please try not to be angry at Sesshomaru for saving me. I really am grateful to him for it, even if it was unintentional."

Inuyasha nodded, sadness filling his eyes. Kagome nodded her thank you and closed her eyes again. She was asleep within moments.

Inuyasha kept a hold of her hand, but now realized what was wrong. Kagome cared for his brother. And, remembering how Sesshomaru had called her by her name instead of wench, he assumed Kagome's charm was wearing through his hard exterior. Inuyasha closed his eyes. Maybe he had pushed Kagome away with his feelings for Kikyo. He did love Kagome, but he even had to admit to himself it wasn't the same as what he felt for Kikyo. And he hated himself for it.

Inuyasha returned to the Feudal era only once, to let his friends know what had happened to Kagome. He refused to tell them what he thought about Kagome's feelings, but they sensed a new sadness in him. Shippo wanted to go with Inuyasha, but he refused. His appearance caused some glances but he could get away with it. Shippo would be impossible to explain if seen.

Other than that, Inuyasha never left Kagome's side. He still cared about her, and maybe he was wrong about her feelings. He was afraid to ask her, but he couldn't stand not knowing either. He decided he would ask Sesshomaru instead.

On the last day she was required to stay in the hospital, Kagome was released in the afternoon. She made it home and into bed, but was drained by just doing that. Inuyasha insisted her stay at her house overnight and they would see how she felt the next day. She finally relented, and he turned to leave.

Kagome grabbed his hand. He looked down at her. "Please don't hate me," she said softly, then fell asleep. Inuyasha watched her for a moment. He had guessed right; she cared for Sesshomaru, and she knew he had noticed. She didn't want him to hate her for loving him instead of Inuyasha. He kneeled down and kissed her on the forehead. "I could never hate you, Kagome," he said in a whisper, then was gone.

He was back in his time in a few minutes flat, and didn't stop at the village. He left directly for Sesshomaru's castle. He was surprised when he ran into Rin and AhUn out in front of the castle.

Inuyasha!" Rin cried in delight when she spotted him. "Where's Kagome? Did she come with you?" She looked around for her favorite friend.

"Kagome is back in her time for a bit. She'll be back soon, okay?" Inuyasha lied with a straight face. He couldn't tell this small child the truth; it would hurt her too much and make her worry. Rin already looked disappointed. "Where's Sesshomaru? I need to talk to him." Rin nodded and headed into the castle. Inuyasha followed behind her as she pointed out the room she had seen Sesshomaru in moments before.

Inuyasha, never one for manners, opened the door and walked in. Sesshomaru was standing in front of the window, looking out at the lands behind his castle. "Sesshomaru," Inuyasha called to get his half-brother's attention. Sesshomaru did not move, but answered him.

"Inuyasha. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Did your woman tell you she wanted to see Rin again?"  
Controlling his anger, thinking of Kagome, he leaned against the wall. "No. Kagome isn't with me. I came here to talk to you. Did something happen a few weeks ago when she was here? She's been acting weird and it all started when she came here to visit Rin." Sesshomaru was silent. "Look Sesshomaru, I hate you and you hate me. I can deal with that. But I need you to answer me now."

Sesshomaru turned slowly and looked at Inuyasha. "Nothing happened."

Inuyasha nodded. He was about to leave when he saw a glimmer of silver around Sesshomaru's neck. "Wait, what's that?" he asked, taking a step toward Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru looked down. "This?" He reached up and took it off, then held it out to Inuyasha. "It's called a locket apparently. It was a gift. I put pictures in it, like I was supposed to." Inuyasha reached out and look the locket. He looked it over as Sesshomaru continued to talk. "The chain I got from a demon that specializes in making such things that expand and contract. I can now wear it no matter what form I am in."

Inuyasha had heard of lockets from Kagome, so he knew how it worked. He gently opened it and spied the two photos inside. On the left was a picture of Rin standing in front of what appeared to be AhUn. She had a big smile on her face and looked as happy as could be. Inuyasha smiled in spite of himself. He glanced at the other photo.

It was a picture of Kagome. She was smiling and had a gentle look on her face. Inuyasha had seen that look before. Kikyo used to look at him that way, when they first met. His heart fell and the smile faded from his face. Sesshomaru cared about Kagome enough to put her picture in here. He looked up at his brother and held out the locket, which Sesshomaru took from him.

"You have a picture of Kagome in there," he remarked casually.

"She gave it to me. It only seemed right to have her picture in it."

'So that's the gift she was looking for,' Inuyasha thought to himself as he watched Sesshomaru put the locket back on. 'Kagome bought him a gift for Christmas. How long has she been feeling this way? And why?' "Kagome is hurt," he said abruptly, watching Sesshomaru's face closely. His features didn't change, but his eyes flashed for a split second. "She's in her own time, being treated for injuries. She should be back tomorrow, but we're not sure yet. When she does, she will probably want to see Rin, so she may bug me into bringing her here. Just a fair warning." He turned to leave.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said from behind him. "Why are you telling me this?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "You know why as well as I do. Just don't screw up," he said, then left the castle. Sesshomaru stood still for a moment, then walked outside. He saw his brother leaping from tree to tree in a rush to get back to that human village. Why had he come here? What did he expect Sesshomaru to do about that human Kagome? But he had felt a twinge when he heard Kagome was injured. Silently, and only to himself, he hoped that she was okay.

Early the next morning, Sesshomaru informed Rin that they were going to go out. He said that he had things he needed to take care of, but he really wanted to see for himself that Kagome was okay. When he told Rin that they were going to stop by and see if Kagome was back yet, she was ecstatic. She rode on AhUn with Jaken walking next to them as Sesshomaru led the way.

They reached the well to find Shippo, Sango and Kilala sitting next to it. Sesshomaru motioned for Rin to join them and watched while she ran and hugged Shippo. Sango was greatly surprised and looked around for Sesshomaru. She spotted him, but made to moves to let him know she had seen him. She ruffled Rin's hair and watched as she, Shippo and Kilala all played together.

Jaken was greatly confused by his lord's actions. First the strange silver piece of metal he had gone to great lengths to get a chain for, and now waiting around for this human girl. "My lord, why are we here?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer. He merely watched the well for any signs of movement.

"Really my lord, why do we have to wait around for that stupid human girl? Stupid girl, always getting in the way, siding with that stupid half demon, what good-"

"Shut up Jaken," Sesshomaru said in his calm voice, but Jaken heard a note of anger in this voice. He sat down and mumbled to himself, which got him kicked in the side of his head by Sesshomaru. He lay on the ground holding his head, but he kept quiet. He didn't know what was wrong with his lord, but it was causing him to get seriously hurt.

After a couple of hours he noticed Sango look into the well and smile. Moments later Kagome and Inuyasha emerged from the well. Kagome was smiling but he saw how she leaned on Inuyasha for support. Sango took Kagome's arm and held her up as Inuyasha sat on the ground. As Kagome sat next to him, she was overwhelmed by two small bodies. She laughed softly and hugged Shippo and Rin to her lightly, careful not to hurt her ribs anymore than they already were.

"Are you feeling better Kagome?" Shippo asked, and Kagome nodded.

"I'm fine Shippo. Just a little bit sore. And hello Rin! I'm surprised to see you here. Did you come on your own?"

Rin shook her head. "No, Lord Sesshomaru brought me. He said he had things to do and that I could come see if you were back yet."

"But how did he know I wasn't here?" Kagome asked. Apparently Inuyasha hadn't mentioned his visit to the castle to her.

"Inuyasha came to the castle and told Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said, smiling up at the older girl. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, startled, and he looked away, his cheeks flushed. Kagome was confused. "Why would you do that Inuyasha?" Inuyasha refused to answer. Kagome looked at Sango, who was looking pointedly over Kagome's shoulder. Kagome turned around and saw Sesshomaru standing in between two large trees. Before she could stop herself she smiled. She tried to hide it a moment later, but Sesshomaru had already seen it. He looked directly at her, then turned and walked further into the woods. Kagome got up on her shaky legs and followed him.

"Kagome, where are you going?" Shippo asked and started to follow after her, but Sango laid her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "She needs to be alone right now, okay? She's alright," she said. Shippo nodded and went back to playing with Rin, who seemed to take Kagome's disappearance in stride.

Inuyasha looked down at Sango. "You knew?" was all he asked. Sango just nodded.

In the woods, Kagome fought her way through the trees to find Sesshomaru, but he seemed to have disappeared. Kagome looked all around her and felt disappointed that she had lost him. She was about to turn around when she heard his voice from her left. "So you came." She whirled around to see Sesshomaru standing next to a very large oak tree. She smiled and nodded.

Sesshomaru watched her for a moment before moving to stand in front of her. He looked down at her. "Have your injuries healed?" he asked in a calm, albeit soft, voice.

"They have, mostly," Kagome answered. "I'm just a bit stiff and it's kind of hard to move around sometimes. But I'll be fine. Hey, you're wearing my locket! Where did you get the chain?" Sesshomaru blinked at the change of subject, but told her about the chain anyhow. She smiled up at him. "That's great. Did you finally get the pictures you wanted in there?"

Sesshomaru nodded. Before Kagome could say anything else, he raised his hand to her cheek. He very gently brushed her hair from her face and ran his thumb down her cheek. Kagome tensed, expecting the claw to hurt her, but found it to be just as soft as his fingers were. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. It felt similar to Inuyasha's but was gentler and fuller somehow. She felt safe and fulfilled.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to make of this young woman in front of him. She was strong, fierce and loyal, and could hold her own against a great number of powerful demons. But she was also kind and considerate, loving and caring, everything he was not used to. She would give her everything for anyone, including him, he realized with a shock. Here she was, by herself, with no weapons to protect her, and she wasn't scared.

But she was scaring him more and more. She was awakening feelings in him that he had never felt before and didn't know what to do with. But the feelings he felt seemed to be telling him it was okay to feel them, and to express them. He wanted so much to press his lips to this woman's lips, to taste her, that it was frightening. He leaned down, but at the last moment, he kissed her cheek instead.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked up at him again. She knew her heart was stolen by this powerful demon. But she wasn't sure how he felt, or what his kiss had meant. She reached up and touched his cheek lightly, but was only able to keep it there for a second before Sesshomaru dropped his arm and moved back. She watched as he stepped back a few steps.

"Please keep Rin with you tonight," he said in a low voice. "I have things I need to decide on, and I need to be alone to think about them. I will return to the well tomorrow to pick her up." With that, he turned and walked away. Kagome stood where she was for long moments, then slowly made her way back to the well. She refused to say anything except that Sesshomaru wanted Rin to stay with them tonight. Rin was glad and didn't seem to mind that he needed time alone.

Kagome was feeling woozy and Inuyasha helped her back to the village. She spoke with Miroku and Kaede for a few minutes before eating a little bit of stew and lying down. Before going to sleep she pressed her fingers to the spot on her cheek that Sesshomaru had kissed. What had that kiss meant? She fell asleep with his face in her mind and dreamed of him.

Shippo kept Rin busy most of the next morning, but they all still checked on Kagome from time to time. She assured them she was feeling fine and could even walk on her own. She just couldn't overdo it. Most of the morning she spent telling stories to Shippo, Rin and the other village children.

Before she knew it, it was time to take Rin to the well to be picked up. She walked with heavy steps to the well. She didn't know what Sesshomaru was going to say to her after yesterday. Would he admit he cared for her, or tell her to stay away from him? Would he want to see her again, or blame her for his kiss? She hoped with everything in her that he would choose to be with her.

Sesshomaru was there before they arrived. Rin ran to give him a hug as Kagome stood a few feet away, eyes cast down and hands folded behind her back. She didn't want to look up, but she had to when she saw Sesshomaru's feet standing in front of her. She swallowed, then steeled herself before looking up into his eyes.

Sesshomaru looked as calm as ever, but Kagome saw something in his eyes that startled her. It looked like sadness. Sesshomaru spoke. "Stay with Inuyasha. He can protect you, and you don't belong with me anyway. He's the one you love, not me. If you want to see Rin again, you send one of your friends to get her. Do not come to my castle again, or you will be turned away. Do you understand me?"

Kagome looked shocked. "But- But what about yesterday?"

Sesshomaru turned away from her and started to walk away. "Yesterday was a mistake. Go now. We must not see each other again. You are strong but weak at the same time, and I cannot stand weakness around me. Goodbye, wench." Before Kagome could say anything, he disappeared into the woods.

Kagome stood still for a moment before her legs gave out from under her. He didn't want to see her anymore. He didn't want anything to do with her? Did that kiss mean nothing to him? It had meant the world to her, and then some. Tears streamed down her face as she turned her head to the sky and screamed as loud as she could.

"SESSHOMARU!!"

(Okay, that's the second part. There will be another part coming up soon, I promise. As always comments appreciated.)


	3. Resolutions

Well, here it is! The last chapter of my story. Please read on, comments always appreciated, and I still do not own Inuyasha. (I submitted it early because so many people asked. Hope you enjoy!)

**The Resolution**

**By: Sable19**

Kagome felt broken inside. She had felt like this when she saw Inuyasha with Kikyo, but this was worse. She didn't want to do anything, say anything; she just wanted to be left alone. She sat by the fire in Kaede's hut by herself, hugging her knees to her chest. She couldn't get Sesshomaru's face out of her mind, and she couldn't forget his lips on her cheeks.

Why would he tell her to stay with Inuyasha? She felt that she had let herself get carried away. Maybe he didn't care for her the way she cared for him. Maybe the kiss had been something that didn't mean anything to him at all. She wasn't sure; after all, things were different for demons than for humans. Kagome buried her face into her knees and cried again.

Outside, Inuyasha and his friends were sitting on the hill watching the hut.

"I don't understand it," Miroku said, folding his legs and putting his hands in his lap. "It feels like Kagome has given up, and that's not like her. What could have happened?"

"Inuyasha, what do you think?" Sango asked, looking at her half demon friend.

Inuyasha looked furious. "It's simple. He turned her away."

Shippo looked very confused. Sango looked worried. Miroku looked sad. "Wait, who turned her away?" Shippo asked, looking from face to face.

Inuyasha jumped into the tree and settled down on a low branch. Sango watched him, then answered Shippo's question. "Sesshomaru did."

"Sesshomaru? Turned her away? From what?" Shippo couldn't understand why his so strong friend was suddenly so down.

"She loves him," Inuyasha's voice traveled down to them. Sango closed her eyes as Miroku and Shippo looked up at Inuyasha sharply. Things became clear to Miroku, but Shippo was still a bit confused.

"No way! Kagome loves Inuyasha! It's obvious to everyone! How can she love Sesshomaru? He's tried to kill her on several occasions and made it clear he hates humans. How can you love someone like that?"

Sango looked over at Miroku. "You can't help who you fall in love with," she said, and Miroku smiled at her softly. Shippo sighed and shrugged. He was still very young so he didn't understand it. But he knew that his father had loved his mother very much, and he wanted the same thing for his friends. "I think Sesshomaru should have his head beaten in," he remarked, making his friends laugh.

Inuyasha sighed. He looked out over the fields and woods. He was about to go into the hut when a scent hit his nose. He recognized it right away as Kikyo. His eyes searched until he saw her, and he jumped down from the tree. He rushed over the fields and into the woods, following his nose and looking in all directions for the dead miko.

After a few minutes he spotted her, standing next to the tree she pinned him against 50 years ago. He stopped a few feet away from her and watched her for a minute. He could see Kagome's face in her soft features, but her maturity and gentleness was what made her different from Kagome. That was part of what had attracted Inuyasha to her, and she wouldn't be Kikyo otherwise.

"Inuyasha, you hide in the forest when you want to come talk to me. You know I will not attack you when you cannot see me. Come out into the open properly," Kikyo said softly, not bothering to turn around. Inuyasha took a few steps toward her but kept his distance. "Inuyasha, I will not attack you this day. Tell me what is on your mind."

Inuyasha sighed. He could trust that Kikyo wouldn't hurt him. He cast his eyes down to the ground. "I've lost Kagome," he said sadly.

This caught Kikyo's attention. She turned to face him, not saying a word but reading his expression carefully. She sat down on a very large root and motioned for him to sit next to her, which he did.

"Kagome doesn't love me," he continued. "I think I pushed her away too much with my love for you. She let her feelings wander and they hooked on someone dangerous. Now she's hurting and this time, I can't protect her. She can't even protect herself. I want to hurt him, to put my claws around his neck and squeeze, but it would only hurt her more. I don't know what to do Kikyo."

Kikyo blinked. She couldn't believe her reincarnation could feel anything for anyone except Inuyasha. She knew in her heart that Inuyasha would be her one and only love. But as she thought back over the adventures they had shared she remembered the several times Kagome had shouted that she was not Kikyo, that she and Kikyo were two different people. She realized those words rang truer now more than ever before.

"Who does she love now?" Kikyo asked.

Inuyasha looked defeated. "Sesshomaru," he said softly. Kikyo's face read surprise for a moment. Not Inuyasha's brother, the one who hated humans?

Inuyasha glanced up at Kikyo's face and chuckled at her expression. "Yea, that's how I felt too, when I first figured it out. I figured he would look down at her, kind of push her away I guess, but he didn't. I know I shouldn't have been spying, but damn it I didn't want him to seriously hurt her. I think Sesshomaru cares more than he wants to, and it's scaring the shit out of him. He can't stop thinking about Father and how loving Mother caused him to die.

"Sesshomaru believes that caring for Rin is okay, because she is a little girl, like a daughter to him. He loves her but not in the same way. To him, loving Kagome could mean his downfall. He doesn't understand that having someone to love and protect makes you stronger, not weaker. I wish I could explain it to him, but he has to figure it out on his own, otherwise it won't mean anything to him."

Kikyo nodded her agreement. "But you cannot change her mind, can you? He is stubborn, but look at how he was when Kagome first got here. He is more open now, and more willing to tolerate what annoys him. I believe Kagome will be able to get through to him. But what about you, Inuyasha? Do Kagome's feelings not hurt you?"

Inuyasha looked up at her and into her eyes. He smiled sadly. "Loving someone means you want them to be happy, no matter what."

The days flew by. Inuyasha and his group spent time hunting down jewel shards and fighting against Naraku and his henchmen. This kept Kagome's mind off of Sesshomaru, for the most part. She spent a lot of time looking off into space, and she was depressed all the time. She still cried at night. She would never admit it to anyone, but they heard her. They hadn't seen Sesshomaru since that day at the well.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, couldn't get Kagome out of his mind. Her face came into his mind whenever he paused for a moment, and he couldn't shake her away. He tried on several occasions to throw away the necklace but could never manage it. It was his only link to this young human girl, and though he knew he shouldn't care, he didn't want to break that.

Rin seemed to know something was wrong. Day after day she spent time in her lord's room with him, hoping to make him feel better, but he never said a word. Jaken had long since given up and spent his time taking care of matters around the castle. Rin did not quit so easily and refused to accept that her lord wanted time alone. Though only a child, even she could see he needed to talk about what was bothering him.

After countless days had passed, he finally turned to the little girl. "Rin, why do you wait here day after day? You should be spending your time doing things you want to do."

Rin smiled at him. "Lord Sesshomaru, you saved my life. Not once, but several times. What sort of a friend would I be if I couldn't return the favor?"

Sesshomaru thought about this for a second. "How are you saving my life?"

"Do you really want me to tell you?" Sesshomaru nodded slowly. "Then please listen my lord, and do not interrupt. I am so young that I do not have many memories of my parents, and that hurts in my heart. But what I do remember about them is that they loved each other very much. My father and brothers were killed first, protecting my mother and me from the bandits. My mother died to save me. That did not make them weak. That made them strong.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you believe love is a weak asset that you cannot afford to have. But it is an asset you cannot afford to let yourself lose. Love makes life worth living, for mortal and demon alike. If you do not find someone to love, you will die a death more horrible than the one your father did. He was a powerful demon who loved a mortal woman with everything he had. That is what made him powerful.

"One day I will be gone from you, whether by my own will or my death. What will you do then? You will be alone again. I do not want you to be alone but I cannot make your decisions for you."

Rin stood up and started to leave the room. At the door she turned to look at him once more. "I love you, Lord Sesshomaru. I know I have never told you, but I do. The thought of losing you makes me feel empty inside. Now stop and think of how Kagome must be feeling." She left the room, and Sesshomaru listened to her footsteps down the hall as her words rang clear through his head.

Sesshomaru didn't move for a long time. He couldn't believe how much this little girl had made sense to him. As night descended on him he closed his eyes and pictured Kagome's face. He felt the familiar warmth in his heart and was relieved by it. Then, he pictured his life without her. The warmth disappeared and a cold emptiness filled him from head to toe. He felt alone and betrayed, but not angry. Just sad.

Sesshomaru quickly left his room. "Jaken!" he called as he headed down the various hallways to get to the front of the castle. The small demon appeared behind him moments later. "Yes, my lord?"

"I am leaving on an errand. You will stay here with Rin and protect her. Do you understand?" Jaken nodded, afraid to get on the bad side of his lord. He watched as Sesshomaru left the castle and headed in the direction of that cursed village. He realized Lord Sesshomaru was going to talk to that mortal girl, and he sighed. What had happened to his lord?

At the village, Kaede was pulling weeds from her herb garden when she heard steps behind her. She turned and was not really surprised to see the demon lord standing behind her. She got to her feet as quickly as she could and looked him in the face. She was angry at this demon for hurting Kagome.

"I am looking for the one called Kagome. Is she here?" Sesshomaru asked, trying to not scare this older priestess. But he sensed no fear from this woman, just anger.

"What do ye wish with her now? Can ye not see ye have hurt her enough? She is out with Inuyasha and her friends, looking for another shard. She will be back later tonight, if you wish to wait, or you can go find the group. It makes no difference to me, but do not startle the villagers."

Sesshomaru turned to leave, but the old woman's voice stopped him. "Take heed, Sesshomaru, that if you have no intention of making Kagome happy you had better tell her right away. You have not only hurt her but her friends as well, and they will protect her from anything, including you."

Sesshomaru made no sound and disappeared from her view. She smiled to herself; if Sesshomaru came into the village to look for her, he must have realized his feelings. He wouldn't hurt her anymore.

Sesshomaru spent most of the day out looking for the group. He found them resting in an open field, but he didn't just walk up to them. He watched them from a distance. He stayed downwind so Inuyasha wouldn't smell him; he didn't want them to see him yet. His eyes traveled from face to face, and finally rested on the young woman who had caused him so much joy and pain.

Kagome smiled at her friends and took another drink of her juice. She listened with half an ear as her friends planned their next move. They had obtained four more shards of the jewel, but they knew Naraku would be after them soon enough. She knew she was in danger, but her heart just didn't seem to care anymore. She only wanted to see Sesshomaru, even if it was just for a moment. She would be happy with that. His face flashed in her mind, and tears cascaded down her cheeks for the third time that day. Inuyasha and the rest of them noticed and watched her with sad eyes.

Sesshomaru couldn't seem to breathe. This young girl was crying. Why? Voices drifted up to him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, sitting down next to her. "You can't keep doing this to yourself. He made his choice, and you have to accept it. I know it's hard, but you can do it."

"I have accepted it," she replied brokenly. "I know Sesshomaru doesn't love me like I love him. But it hurts so much. He never gave me a reason; he just left. I miss him. Before we would at least see him when we were fighting, but now I just feel I will never see him again. Why do I have to love him?" Kagome broke into sobs, and Inuyasha could do nothing but hold her. Sango had tears running down her face for her friend, and Miroku had his arm around her shoulders to make her feel better. Shippo wanted to be strong, so he wasn't allowing his tears to show, but he did jump into Kagome's lap and try to hug her.

Sesshomaru watched the group and for the first time in his life, he felt guilty. He felt horrible for what he had done, and more so for that young lady who had never given him anything but kindness and respect. Even when fighting him she had fought fair, and she had never held anything against him. How could he do this? He had heard enough. He quickly made his way to the group.

Inuyasha heard him first. He growled as his brother approached. Kagome felt his presence but was afraid to look up.

"What do you want?" the half demon snarled. Sango, Miroku and Shippo stood up and left them alone. This was not their fight.

"I want to talk to her, not you, little brother," Sesshomaru answered.

Inuyasha was on his feet in moments and walked to stand directly in front of Sesshomaru. He didn't say anything for a moment, but his anger got the better of him. He punched the normally alert demon in his face, full force, and was satisfied when Sesshomaru lost his footing. He grinning down at Sesshomaru in satisfaction.

"Inuyasha, leave him alone," Kagome's voice reached his ears. He turned to see the young woman hadn't moved but she had stopped crying. Inuyasha nodded to her, then turned back to his brother. "Listen to me you asshole," he said with a great deal of venom in his voice. "If you even think about hurting Kagome again I will kill you myself." With that he turned and left them alone, joining his friends on a close by hill.

Sesshomaru stood up and looked down at the young miko, who still hadn't moved. He wasn't sure what to say. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, he simply offered his hand to Kagome. She looked up at him, her face still streaked with tears, and took it. He pulled her to her feet and they looked into each other's eyes for a few minutes.

"Why?" was all she asked.

"Kagome, Inuyasha can protect you much better than I can. I have to take care of Rin and that's a large responsibility in itself. I know you are strong, but there on demons out there stronger than what you can take care of. If I turned my back for one moment to look after Rin, something could happen to you. I don't want that to happen. I want you to stay with Inuyasha; he has always been able to protect you from anything."

"Also, you have a very powerful demon after you. If he finds out our feelings he will use it against us, and we will be forced to suffer through more pain. At least, at this rate, we still have a chance!"

Kagome nodded her understanding. "Will we ever be together?" she asked softly. Sesshomaru heard the pain in her voice and placed his palm on her cheek. He brushed away her tears with his thumb and for the first time, smiled a very gentle smile at her.

"We will," he answered. "As soon as the greatest threat, Naraku, has been taken care of, and the Jewel of Four Souls has been destroyed or used properly. Then you will be free to make the choice of what you want to do. I will not tear you away form your family or friends; I do not want to hold you captive. But I will tell you one thing, Kagome." She looked hopeful. "I love you."

Kagome closed her eyes as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. She smiled a sad smile and placed her hand on top of his. "And I you." She moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He, in return embraced her, and held her tightly. They refused to budge for a long time.

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippo watched from the hilltop. "So she will be happy now, right?" Shippo asked, looking up at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha watched them for a moment, then turned his head to the west. In the distance he could see the small figure of Kikyo, watching them. "I think, soon, we will all be happy," he replied. A smile tugged at his lips.

**7 months later…**

"Kagome! Move!" Inuyasha shouted, blocking the wind attacks from Kagura. His voice was wasted, however; Kagome was already gone. Inuyasha once again marveled at the growth that had taken over his friend.

In the past seven months Kagome had seemed like a woman possessed. She tracked down the rest of the jewel chards that Naraku didn't have and collected them in her small bottle. She had even managed to get the ones Koga had, though she refused to tell anyone how. The only other shard that was still in Kohaku, and Kagome had left it there because he was a great asset in their battles.

Her powers had grown to rival Kikyo's as well. She could break barriers wit her arrows, she could create shields with her bow as Miroku did with his staff, and she had taken down some demons that even Inuyasha had had problems with. Her greatest skill, however, was one that even Kikyo hadn't obtained before her tragic death; she could control her arrows once they were released from her bow.

Kagome fired an arrow and used her powers to move it around the castle several times before locating a target. She had it fly around Naraku, who had been expecting it, and fly straight through the heart of Kanna. The small girl didn't make a sound; her eyes widened and she fell to the ground, her eyes and mirror dark. Naraku cried out in fury as another of his warriors fell. She shot tentacles at Kagome, but she created a barrier and they were cast off in another direction. Kagome watched her friends from the corners of her eyes. To her left Inuyasha and his group were fighting Kagura and her wind. They seemed to have scored a few hit, as her robes were stained with blood.

To her right she watched with great fear as Sesshomaru fought against Hakudoshi. Sesshomaru was doing fine, but not gaining any ground. He did glance over at Kagome when she looked at him, and though his expression didn't change, she could have sworn he was telling her he was enjoying himself. Kagome giggled in spite of herself; she knew Rin was taken care of, and that she could finish her plan with no problems.

Kagome fired another arrow and it flew directly at Naraku. He shielded himself with his arms and many body parts, but cried out in surprise when it flew around him and into his castle. It flew from room to room, breaking down walls as it went. Though Kagome couldn't see through her arrow, she could in fact feel everything around it. And right now she was searching for something. Where was it?

Inuyasha was watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was keeping Kagura busy, but at her signal, he would take the plan to the next step. After a few moments she nodded ever so slightly, and Inuyasha took his cue. He sailed past Kagura and directly at Naraku. "Come here you slimy piece of shit!" he yelled, pointing Tessaiga directly at Naraku's through. Naraku grinned and knocked him away with his long tail.

"I found it!" Kagome cried, getting everyone's attention.

"DO IT NOW!" Inuyasha screamed as loud as he could, regaining his footing and flying at Naraku again. Naraku yelled at in anger and aimed for Kagome. She saw it coming and directly her arrow straight down. Down into Naraku's true heart. It pierced through the small child like lump of flesh. The child cried in agony, then melted down to become nothing more than a red and white liquid. She cried in joy just as Naraku's attack flew closer.

Inuyasha sliced through the now defenseless Naraku and took his body in half. He jumped back and unleashed the Wind Scar, tearing the already defeated Naraku into pieces. As he disintegrated his tail never flew off course; it headed directly for Kagome. She didn't have time to move, even with her improved speed. She put an arrow in her bow, but before she could fire it, the tail was inches in front of her.

"Kagome!!" Inuyasha cried out as the tail hit its mark and a great cloud of dust and dirt flew into the air. He rushed to the spot to get his friend, only to find it empty. He looked around in horror, afraid the tail may have knocked Kagome a long distance back. But he sighed with relief as he looked to his left.

Sesshomaru stood there, Kagome in his arms. She had her eyes closed and didn't seem to notice what had happened. "Kagome! Are you okay?" Inuyasha called out to her. She opened one eye and looked around, then glanced up at Sesshomaru. Her face flushed as he smiled down at her, and she still couldn't believe that this once savage demon had turned into one of her best friends. No wonder she loved him so much.

Sesshomaru set her down as her friends ran over to her. Kagura hadn't been defeated, but she had stopped fighting the minute Naraku was kill. Hakudoshi had been distracted by Naraku's sudden death, and that had left him open to Sesshomaru's attacks. He lay dead a few feet away, his empty eyes staring into the star filled sky. As Inuyasha checked over Kagome for injuries, they were approached by two people. One was Kagura, and the other, Kohaku.

Kohaku asked to speak to Sango alone, and they left. Kagura held her hands up in front of her. "I do not want to fight with you anymore," she said. She placed on hand on her chest. "I have my heart back, and I can be free now. I will not bother you again. You are formidable opponents, and I don't think I could win. Besides, I think you'll want this." She held out her hand, and in it was the Jewel shard that Naraku had possessed. Kagome took it from her, and it purified in her hands. She smiled at the young woman who had finally won the freedom she so desired.

"Will we ever see you again?"

Kagura smiled as the winds picked up, and she rose above them on her giant feather. "Undoubtedly." She flew away, waving to them as she flew out of sight.

Kagome smiled for her friend. They had finally won. She pulled out the shards she had on her and held them in her right hand. The bigger jewel Naraku had had was in her left. She clasped her hands together and closed her hands in concentration. A pink light glowed around her hands for a moment, then her hands opened to reveal an almost complete jewel. It seemed only one piece was missing.

Sango returned to them then, her face streaked with tears. Kagome looked at her with sad eyes. "Here," Sango said, holding out the last jewel shard. The group gasped as they realized where it had come from.

Sango just smiled sadly. "He had decided a long time ago that he wanted to enjoy he afterlife in peace. He gave it up of his own free will. And I will be alright. I will see him along with the rest of my family someday." Kagome hugged her friend tightly, then added the jewel shard to the large jewel. The jewel gave off a large pink glow for a few minutes, causing them to shield their eyes until it faded. When they could finally see again, they smiled in satisfaction at the now complete jewel in Kagome's hands. Their quest was over.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, who shook his head. She nodded and turned to her friends. Inuyasha was watching her with a smile, Sango was drying her still wet eyes, Miroku was examining his healed hand, and Shippo was dancing happily with Kilala. She grinned at them all. "Come on, let's go home!" The all shouted their agreements.

A few days later, everyone was healed and happy. Kagome had handed the jewel over to Kikyo, who said she already knew what do with it. She wouldn't tell anyone what it was, but she assured them it was a pure wish. Miroku and Sango were planning their wedding, and Shippo had decided to go out on his own and find other kitsunes to live with. Kagome was going to miss them all, since she knew she wouldn't be staying with them anymore.

Kagome gathered her bag and stood up. "I will be back by this evening," she informed everyone. "I'm going home to tell my family goodbye." She waved and left the hut. She spotted Inuyasha in his usual spot, which was sitting in the branches of the sacred tree. But he wasn't alone; sitting next to him, resting against him, was Kikyo. She smiled up at them and waved, then ran to the well and jumped in.

Immerging from the other side, Kagome went straight into her house. She knew since it was a weekend that her family would all be home. And she was right; she found them all in the kitchen, getting ready to eat lunch. They were surprised to see her; she hadn't been home lately. She laughed and told them about the battle with Naraku, and how the jewel had finally been put back together.

Kagome's mom smiled at her daughter, but her eyes were sad. She was about to lose her daughter. Sota and Grandfather didn't seem to notice, however. "Does that mean you will be coming home now, Kagome?" the older man asked, helping himself to some pickles that were sitting on the table.

Kagome took a drink, then set her cup down. She smiled at her family. She loved them so much and it would be hard to leave. But she had to follow her heart. "No, grandpa, I'm not coming home," she answered. Both his and Sota's faces fell.

"But, why Sis?" Sota asked. He looked ready to cry, and Kagome rushed to his side.

"Oh Sota, I'm not going away forever! I'm just not coming home to stay either. I've been confused ever since this journey started about where I belong, and I finally found my place. But it's not here; it's in the Feudal era, with someone I love. But I could never leave you for good! So long as you are here I will come back to see you. But you can't let anyone cover the well, otherwise I won't ever be able to get through, okay? Can I trust you to do that?" Sota nodded, rubbing his wet eyes.

"We will miss you Kagome," her mother said. Kagome stood up and hugged her mom tightly. "You will always have a place here, you know that. So come back whenever you want. And if you have children, I want to see them, understand?" Kagome blushed and nodded, giggling. She wasn't sure if Sesshomaru wanted children or not. "And make sure you come back for Christmas."

Kagome laughed and sat down to enjoy her lunch. As she ate, she told them all about her battles, her friends, and Sesshomaru. It was easy to tell she was in love; her eyes glowed and she smiled softly when she mentioned his name. Kagome's mom watched her with happiness overflowing her heart; she had felt the same way about Kagome's father, and she had wanted nothing more than for Kagome to know that kind of love. Her wish had been granted.

As evening drug on, Kagome hugged and kissed her family goodbye. She gave her mom notes to give to all her friends, since she wouldn't be back for a long time. She had to get settled into her new life. Her grandfather wept as she left the house, and Sota ran out after her. "Sis! Wait!" he cried.

Kagome stopped and bent down to give him a big hug. "I will miss you," he said. "Promise me you won't forget me?" Kagome ruffled his hair. "Not on your life squirt." He laughed and waved goodbye as she headed into the well house and jumped into the well. Kagome smiled when she saw the familiar blue light surround her. She felt like she was finally going home for good, to a place where she belonged completely.

Kagome landed softly on the ground and looked up. She saw a clear blue sky with a few birds flying overhead. She climbed quickly out and ran to the village. She was greeted at the entrance by Inuyasha and Kikyo, and she hugged them both.

"Hey guys. I'm about to leave, just wanted to say goodbye. Is everything okay?" Inuyasha smiled and put his arm around Kikyo's waist.

"Everything is fine Kagome," he said happily. "I wanted to wish you luck, and tell you thank you for everything. We are all happy now, and we can now enjoy life the way we were supposed to. Will you come back to see us?" Kagome nodded. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched her friends walk away, hand in hand. Inuyasha had finally found happiness, and that was worth all the pain and suffering she had been through. She silently wished them all the best as she headed into Kaede's hut.

There she found Miroku and Sango with all their stuff packed into bags. They were getting ready to leave and go back to Miroku's family shrine. Kagome hugged them both tightly and wished them luck. She reminded them that she would be at Sesshomaru's castle, should they ever need her or want to visit. They nodded, waved, and left. Shippo hugged Kagome tightly before rushing out to join them; they were going to drop him off at a place where he knew some orphaned kitsune lived.

Kagome brushed a tear from her eye and turned to the priestess Kaede. She wasn't sure what to say to this older woman who had helped her in so many ways, and that she loved like an older sister. Kaede nodded her understand and smiled gently. "I will miss ye too, Kagome," she said softly. "Ye have become your own woman, and I am very proud of you for that. Do not forget who ye are, ever." Kagome nodded and hugged Kaede with everything she had in her.

"I will come back to see you," she said, then left the hut. She jumped on her bike and started to pedal out of the village. When she passed the very last field she turned and looked back. She could see Inuyasha and Kikyo waving to her. She waved back, then sped off into the woods. She was going to find her Sesshomaru. She pedaled for a long time before she saw the castle ahead of her. She stopped short of the gate and swallowed. Should she just go in or should she wait here?

The question was answered when Rin ran from inside the castle to greet Kagome. She smiled and jumped up and down as Kagome climbed off the bike and rested it against the gate. "Kagome! You're here! I was waiting all day long for you!" Kagome smiled down at the little girl and picked her up, swinging her high in the air.

"Yup, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! Are you my welcome party?"

"Yup! Come on; I get to show you where your room is and where to put your stuff. Hurry!" Rin pulled at her hands and dragged her into the castle. She told Kagome that the bike would be moved into the castle and put somewhere safe by the servants who worked in the castle. Kagome nodded and let Rin guide her through the long hallways.

"Here you go!" Rin said, opening a door and pushing Kagome through. She looked around to find a very plain room; there was a table, a few chairs, and a small dresser. She couldn't see a bed anywhere, and when she mentioned this to Rin, the small girl just smiled at her. "Hurry, put away your stuff away, because I want you to come with me to my flower meadow! Okay?" Before she could answer, Rin was gone.

Kagome stood still for a moment, then shrugged and unpacked her bag. She put all of her clothes away and was closing the last drawer when Rin reappeared. Assuring Rin that she was done, she let the little girl lead her out of the castle and to the meadow. Kagome's eyes widened when she saw how big the meadow was, and how many flowers there were. She could fit her high school building here!

Rin giggled and started making flower wreaths. After a moment, Kagome joined her. They spent a long time playing in the flowers; making wreaths, rings, and anything else Rin could think of. Kagome hadn't had so much fun in a long time, and she was laughing so hard by the time the sky started to darken that her sides were hurting.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out suddenly, getting up and running behind Kagome. She sat still for a moment, then stood up and turned around to face the demon she loved. She raised her eyes from the ground until they reached his golden eyes, and she swallowed again. He was just looking at her while Rin told him all about their afternoon.

"Rin, please go back to the castle and tell Jaken to get dinner started," Sesshomaru said quietly to the little girl, who nodded and took off for the castle. His eyes never left Kagome, and after a moment he took a few steps toward her. He looked down at her smiling face. "So you are here. Is it for good?"

"As long as you want me here," she replied softly.

Sesshomaru smiled. "Then you will be here forever. Here, give me your hand."

Kagome complied and raised her right hand. Sesshomaru took it gently into hers and pulled a small box from his pocket. Kagome recognized it as the one his locket had been in. He opened it up and took something out. Kagome couldn't see what it was, but a moment later he slipped something on her finger. She looked down at her hand and her eyes widened in delight.

On her finger was a small silver band, a ring. It felt snug and comfortable on her hand, and when she looked closely at it, she could see some very faint etchings on it. There were three pictures, side by side; one of Sesshomaru, one of Rin, and one of her. She and Rin were smiling while Sesshomaru was watching them, a gentle look on his face. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, her voice lost.

"You gave me a locket," he said, fingering the small piece of medal that hung around his throat. "I gave you a ring. We are now bound to each other. For as long as you want to wear that ring, it will stay on your finger. And as long as it does, your life span shall equal mine. You will not be immortal, but you will not die of old age until I do." Kagome smiled up at him and nodded.

Sesshomaru took in her features once more. He noticed her eyes were shining now, with love for him. He touched his fingers to her cheek, her nose, then her mouth before moving them down to rest on her shoulders. As he leaned down to her, she tilted her head back to meet him. And, for the first time, their lips brushed against each other. It was a soft kiss, undemanding yet unyielding, as if Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to do next but he knew he didn't want to stop.

Kagome pressed her lips firmly against his and kissed him back. Her lips caught his as her arms moved up his chest and around his neck. Sesshomaru sunk into her embracing, moving his hands to circle her waist. He pulled him to her as the kiss stretched on and on. Kagome opened her mouth to invite him in, and his tongue explored her.

When they could breathe no more, Sesshomaru pulled back. Kagome stayed where she was, breathing heavily. She opened her eyes and looked dreamily up at him. "Wow," she whispered, and he smiled. A sudden image of his dad flashed through his mind, asking him, once again, if he had someone to protect. 'Yes, Father,' he answered in his mind, looking down at the woman who had taken over his heart. 'I not only will protect her, but I love her, and she loves me. I hope we are as happy as you were.'

**The End**

That's it! I hope you liked it. Please let me know if you did. I'll be starting on another one sometime this week, so keep an eye out for it! So long everyone!


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